The Black Dragon of the Fire Nation
by Rigbutter96
Summary: Hope is a fleeting feeling. So easy to exstinguish. What happens when a ray of light pierces the darkness of despair that is the world? Bane inspired Naruto! OOC Naruto! Naruto will be strong, but not godlike. Naruto has a zanpaktou.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: New Stories are on the horizen! Here's one now! Oh, Naruto will be OOC. Read to find out why. This is a Naruto x Mai story, but if enough people ask I may include Jun or someone else. Naruto is one yar older than Mai, and the same age as Zuko and Sokka in this story. Ursa will leave later in the story, as i want her to have some kind of interaction with Naruto, as well as Mai, Ty Lee, Azula, and Zuko.**

(Chapter 1- Hopeless)

The Fire Nation armies had just been recalled from the failed seige of Ba Sing Se,The Dragon of the West having abandoned the fight after the death of his son. The army had, in order to gather supplies and examine losses, taken a nearby Earth Kingdom base.

But not just any base, oh no. This base was the location of the worst prison in the earth Kingdom: The Hole. A p[lace where Firebenders were sent to die. Declared inescapable, it was a beacon to all who oppose the might of the Earth Kingdom.

Here, General Iroh and his army all looked into the gaping darkness that was the prison, before rappelling down the walls into the hopless place. The Firebenders all ignited their hands and gasped at what they saw. Bpodies littered the floor, hundreds of Fire Nation prisoners dead and rotting, their corpses all in various stages of decay and rot.

A sound was heard, muffled by a clothe or hand. The sound broke Iroh out of his shock and sadness as he turned to it, to find a moving form amongst the various dead of this place.

Clad in dirty rags, it was sitting with its knees up to its chest, head wrapped in a scarf that looked ready to fall off. Said scarf was fully wrapped around the forms head, preventing its hair from being seen, nor its face or head.

Walking to the form, Iroh got on one knee and put his hand on the shoulder of the, obvous, child. When his hand made contact with the form, it stopped moving and looked up. Iroh's golden eyes stared into the grey eyes of the child, whom was male, and smiled as he said. "Child, you are safe."

The boy looked shocked for a moment before he shook with silent sobs, having lost his hope of safety and rescue.

(Fire Nation Capital- Two Months Later)

The last two months had been strange and different for Iroh. When they had gotten out of Th Hole, the boy named Naruto had clungto him like a life line. His age was determined to be around the age of 9, the same as his nephew Zuko. Not many knew what he looked like, as he constantly wore the scarf to cover his hair and face, wrapping the garment around his head to ensure that no one saw without his permission.

Iroh had, of course, seen his face and hair. He wished he hadn't. The boy had many scars over his face, some deeper while others were worthy of wincng at. When asked how he acquired them, Naruto would just stare and mumble about the prison.

He was surprisingly intelligent, reading the books given to him by the crew of the ship they were on. He was tall for his age, standing at around 4'7", just a few inches taller than Zuko. When he was given clothes to wear, along with a new scarf, he chose to wear all black colors and covered as much of his skin as possible. He decided to start wearing a black long sleeved shirt with a short sleeve shirt ina lighter shade of blackover it. Black hakama pants with a white flame like pattern on the bottom. Finishing off the look were black boots.

The ship docked at the harbor, with Iroh and Naruto stepping into a carriage ready to take them to the castle. They road to the castle, having a pleasent conversation on the young boys Firebending skills. That had taken them by surprise, especially when he accidently lit a table on fire.

They arrived swiftly, as they did not want to parade around the city. Entering, they made their way to the throne room. Arriving to see all of his family there, Iroh smiled at his father, Azulon, and his brother, Ozai. sitting on his knees in front of the Fire Lord, Naruto following his lead, he waited for his fathers acknowladgement. "Iroh, after so long it is good to see you. I am truly sorry for the death of your son, Lu Ten."

"Thank You father."

"Now, before we begin these pleasentries, would you care to explain who that peasent behind you is?"

Taking a breath, Iroh began. "On my way back from Ba Sing Se, my men and I captured an Earth Kingdom base that held their Maximum Security Prison, The Hole. Upon entering the prison, I found the populace slaughtered. ut before I could leave, I found this boy hiding in the shadows. He is the last of the Firebenders imprisoned within that horrid place, as well as my adopted son."

Azulon regarded Iroh before turning his gaze to Naruto. "Boy, what were you doing in that prison?"

"My mother wa sent there after my father impregnated her. She was a noble of Ba Sing Se, who had had an affair wit a commanding officer in the Fire Nation army. As punishment, her father sent her to The Hole, where I was born." Naruto answered bravely, without a hint of fear or trepidation in his voice.

Inclining his head, Azulon returned his attention to Iroh. "And his skills in Firebending?"

Looking at Naruto, Iroh gave a nod. The boy stood and entered a basic firebending stance and thrust his fist forward, sending a torrent of _black flames _in the shape of a dragons head into the air. So shocked by the color of the fire, Azulon looked on in wonder at the shear power behind the blast.

"As you can see, Father, he is more than worthy of being a member of the Royal Family."

"Very well. The boy may join our family."

(Later that Afternoon- Turtleduck Pond)

Naruto sat on a bench as he read a book in the peace and quiet of the pond. He didn't know what to think of the series of wonderful turns his life had taken in the past two months.

His thoughts on the matter were interuppted by voices coming his way. Putting the book away, he turned ad gazed in a passive disinterest as Lady Ursa, her children, and (Whom he assumed) her children's friends walk out. Lady Ursa seemed to notice him as she waved gently.

"Why hello, Naruto. Would you care to join us for some tea and cakes?"

Not wanting tio be rude, Naruto accepted. "If I may, Lady Ursa."

"Now now, none of that. Just call me Aunt or Ursa if you must."

Sitting at the table, he was immediatly bombarded with questions by the bubbly girl wearing pink.

"What's your name? Why do you wear that scarf? Is black your favorite color? Do you like cake? How do you like the capitol?"

Blinking, Naruto calmly replied to her questions. "My name is Naruto. i wear this scarf because i wear this scarf. Yes. I have never had cake. The capitol is nice, I suppose."

Ty Lee smiled at him as Azula looked him over curiously. "You don't seem like much to me."

"Appearances can be decieving."

Next it was Mai who asked a question. "So, can we see what's under your scarf?"

Ty Lee didnt wait for an answer, she just reached for the clothe. Naruto grasped her hand firmly, but gently. "Ty lee, I must kindly ask you to never do that again. I wear this scarf for a reason. You should respect my privacy and leave it alone."

Bringing her hand back, Ty lee gave a nod of confirmation that she understood. The tea and cakes arrived and everyone started eating, being sure to keep an eye on Naruto. They heard a noise, and turning their heads they saw a turtleduck fly off. Looking back, they saw Naruto's plate clean and his tea drunken as he leaned back, his grey eyes staring at the clouds.

(Three years later)

Three years had passed since Naruto had joined the Royal Family, and many things had happened. Lady Ursa had dissapeared on night, and Ozai had claimed the throne. Not only that, but Azula had become even more of a self-centered brat.

For Naruto, thenext three years were fairly good. He had managed to train his Black Fire and was considered a firebending prodigy, as well as a swordsman prodigy. He had grown to a good 5'6", two inches taller than Zuko, much to the princes ire, and had yet to show his face to anyone, something Ty Lee was constantly trying to see.

His relationship with Mai and Ty Lee was interesting. Ty Lee had latchd onto him, calling him her Big Brother, a title Naruto accepted. With Mai...many of he staff had taken bets as to when the two of them would admit that they had feelings for one another.

Two years ago, Naruto, Iroh, Mai, Zuko, and Ursa had gone to the markets to see if they had anything that would interest them. There, Naruto had found a shop full of animals. Upon entering, he found the most curious of animals.

A simple salamander.

Getting the money he had been given as an allowence, he haggled with the shop owner for an hour, amusing Ursa and Iroh as they watched a ten year old out haggle a grown man, Naruto walked away with five thousand yuans more mony than he had entered with.

He named the salamander Ibuse, and where Naruto went, he went.

We find Naruto in the middle of a training ground, going through sword katas as his teacher, Mifune, watched. The legendary warrior had trained the boy in the art of the sword and was thoroughly impressed by his progress. "Naruto, that is enough for today."

Standing, Naruto sheathed his sword, witch was black and had a red wave going down it, in it's sheathe across his back. Bowing to Mifune, he walked off, Ibuse quickly following him. The last two years had made the salamander quite big, almost big enough to ride.

He found his friends sitting at the Turtleduck pond, relaxing. Zuko and Ty Lee sitting off to the side, whispering to eachother, and Mai flipping a knife she had in her hand. Seeing Naruto, her normally borded eyes gained a noticable shine in them.

Sitting next to her, Naruto said. "Hello Mai. How are you today?"

"Better now that i have you for company. it gets so boring without you to keep me entertained."

They sat in silence as they watched the clouds. After a while, they heard footsteps and an arrogant voice that belonged to a certain princess.

Looking at Azula as she marched into the peaceful area, Naruto crossed his arms as she glared at him. The girl had always been jealous of him and his skills, going so far as to demand that he teach her his skills. When he refused, she had blown a gasket.

Azula said in an authoritive voice. "Naruto fight me so that I can prove that I am superior to you!"

"Hmm, did you say something?" Came her lazy reply.

Mai, Ty Lee, and Zuko had to work hard at seeing Azula turn a dark shade of red at that. She gained a gleam in her eye as she said. "Then I challenge you to Agni Kai!"

That stopped them as Naruto calmly stood. "When and where?"

"Today after lunch, in the Agni kai chamber."

At his nod, she went to tell her father of this.

(At the Agni Kai chamber)

It was time. The match was set to begin and Naruto had his back to Azula as he waited for the start. At the gong, he turned around and dodged a fireball launched at him from the girl, before bending backwards to avoid a jet of flames, all the while moving steadily forward.

Azula kept up the attacks as she became more and more frustrated with his constant dodging. Having enough, she said something that made everyone gasp. "Naruto you coward! Just like your whore of a mother!"

That stopped Naruto as his normally kind eyes turned to stone. All was silent as they held their breath. His mother was always a touchy subject for him, and had been the cause of more than one violent attack in a regulated fight with proctors.

"Azula, while you may have been trained in the darkness..." Naruto said as he dissapeared. Reappearing behind her, he covered his fist in black flames and gave her a viscious uppercut that sent her into the air. breathing deeply, he released a torrent of flames that made contact with her. "... I was born in the darkness!"

Azula laid defeated in front of the pre-teen. "Winner, Naruto Uzumaki!"

**AN: And that ends the intro chapter. next chapter we begin at Omasshu when it s occupied by the Fire Nation. i will reiterate: This can only go two ways, Naruto x Mai or Naruto x Mai x Jun. Please review and give your opinion. Peace out homies!**


	2. Chapter 2

**New chapter time! I am honestly surprised at the amount of attention given to this story. Not only that, but I get to eat tangerine chicken! And due to the PM's I got, Jun is being added to the pairing. Now: Do you want Lemons or not?  
**

_(Cover)_

_The cover is a picture of Naruto, dressed in black clothes as he stands with his arms crossed, looking with cold eyes at Aang and the others as they are chased by Azula, Ty lee, and Mai, two figures with animals on their shoulders standing beside him.  
_

(Chapter 2- Omasshu, seven years later)

It was night as a single figure ran across the scaffolding of the city. The black clad man had little time to lose as he was expected to arrive at any minute. Twisting around a pole and sprinting as fast as he could, the figure came to a stop at the governors home. stepping into the light, the figure was revealed to be Naruto.

The last seven years had been kind to him as he stood at a tall 6'1". Not only did he grow in height, but he had packed on lean muscle from the many free running practices he had over the years. Clad in black, slightly baggy pants tucked into black boots, a black high colored shirt that covered his scarf wrapped head with a grey sash holding his blade to his back.

Moving quietly, he scaled the walls of the manor with a grace only seen from the most agile of warriors. Reaching a balcony, he flipped over into the room. Peering around, he spots his target asleep in bed, covered in silken sheets and wool blankets. creeping forward, he carefully places his feet so as to avoid waking the target.

Arriving by the side of the bed, he reaches for the blankets prepared to rip them aside. grabbing them, he slowly and carefully pulls them off of the target, revealing a familiar female face.

Mai.

Folding the blanket in a meticulous fashion, Naruto brings his right hand to her head and tucks a stray strand of black hair behind her ear. Replacing the blankets he turns to leave and makes it halfway to the balcony when a voice stops him.

"You know, if my father catches you in my room, no matter what position you hold, he will kill you." The voice of mai said as she sat up, her black silken nightgown covering her modesty.

Naruto turned to Mai as he replied coolly. "He would have to catch me first. And you know as well as I do that i am the fastest there is. So the only way for him to catch me is if _you_ were to tell him I paid you a visit."

Mai gave a small smirk as she said. "And what is keeping me from telling him that the greatest assassin in the Fire nation is paying his sweet innocent daughter a visit?"

Naruto closed the distance between them as he pulled the bottom of his scarf down and his lips crashed with hers. Separating after a moment, he whispered into her ear, getting a shiver of excitement from her. "i can think of a few things."

Mai closed her eyes and leaned her head against his shoulder as he hugged her lithe frame close to his body, relishing in the fact that he had come back after weeks of being gone. No one knew of their secret meetings during the night, no one knew that they had gone to a fire temple and had been bonded by the spirits of fire and love as man and wife in a secret wedding that only a select few were entrusted with the knowledge of.

She knew that it tore him apart that he couldn't stay with her, but despite his station as the son of the Dragon of the West, they would be unable to get married under normal circumstances. So they kept it a secret, hiding it from anyone who would try and take them apart.

A soft groan alerted them of the other tenements awakening as Ibuse got off of the ground and gave a chortle of repressed laughter. **"Oi, if Mai were to just magically turn up pregnant, it would cause some questions to be asked. And then, as your loyal and humble salamander friend, I would be forced to eat her parents. We can't have that, now can we?"**

Naruto gave a nod as he reluctantly let go of Mai and turned to leave, but not before saying. "Tomorrow, I will be in place to assign myself as your bodyguard. Until then, i bid you farewell."

leaping from the balcony, he dropped to the ground and made his way back to the barracks in which his teammates were resting. Arriving there, he saw that only one of them was awake. The man was of an average build, with lean muscle that spoke of hard work and strength of character. He had red hair that just kind of laid there, a small goatee on his chin and teal eyes.

He wore black clothes, identical to Naruto's, and had a gourd filled with Iron Sand sitting next to him. a scar that was the kanji for love on his forehead and the deep circles around his eyes spoke of how little sleep the man got. On the mans shoulder was a simple brown tanuki that appeared to have an insane grin on his face. He was Gaara of the Sand and Shukaku the tanuki dog.

(The next day)

Naruto sat back and watched as Mai greeted Azula. What was supposed to be a nice day, just the two of them, had turned into a frantic scramble to get prepared for the princesses arrival. Now, no one could say that Naruto had any form of love for the girl, even more so that she believes she is superior to everyone, something Ozai had not exactly tried to discourage.

The only bright spot was that the two of them got to see Ty Lee again, with whom the girl tried, for what felt like the millionth time, to see behind the scarf covering his face from view. The bubbly girl had changed during her time in the circus, she seemed more at ease, as if she had found just what her missing piece was.

Naruto noticed the blush she had on her face when she looked at Gaara. Something their second teammate would point out. The man was tall, way taller than Naruto, standing at around 6'8". He had dark skin and white hair that was slicked back. He wore a black vest and pants, with white shin guards as well as seven swords on his back. A pair of sunglasses finished off his look as they rested on his face, the strange ox/octopus hybrid resting casually on his shoulder. He was Kirabi "Killer Bee" Yotsuki and Gyuuki the Oxtopu.

Azula finished the pleasantries with Mai and walked into the mansion, her usual arrogant look still firmly in place as she did. She had come here to recruit Mai and her adopted cousin to help her hunt down the Avatar, and by the fact that the mans team was there as well it made her all the more excited. They were considered the strongest team in the entirety of the Fire Nation, due to there brilliant teamwork and innovative ideas. If she could convince Mai to join, no doubt Naruto would come as well, thereby leading to the inclusion of Gaara and Killer Bee.

She was brought out of her planning as she was greeted by a distraught Governor and his wife. Deciding to get brownie points, she played the concerned princess and learned that there son, Tom-Tom, had been "kidnapped" by Earth Kingdom rebels in the city, as well that they would give the boy over if they released King Bumi. mulling over what to do, Azula came up with a devious plan.

(Time of the Swap- Scaffolding)

Naruto crouched as he watched as the "negotiations" took place between a bald monk and two water tribe kids and the Fire Nation Females. It bothered him how Azula could use a child like that, as a dispensable tool to be disposed of at a whim, but it wasn't his place to judge. He was here to ensure that nothing happened to the three girls.

A ways away, Gaara had his Iron Sand weaken the wooden pillars that held the scaffolding up, preparing to destroy them. He could care less about what Azula wanted, so long as he could get one of the three targets to prove his existence he was happy. (AN: It's Gaara people.)

Meanwhile, Killer Bee was humming to himself as he put several rerouteing objects onto the main paths of the city, so as to coral the Avatar into a more easily attack-able position. if push came to shove, he had orders to attack the Water tribe girl, as his fighting style counteracted her Waterbending.

Naruto narrowed his eyes behind his scarf as Azula made her "suggestion" as to the worth of something. That part pissed him off. A person, no matter how old or young, was equal to another, no matter their position. Gripping the handle on his sword, Ameratsu, he mentally counted down to the Avatar's, Aang if he could remember correctly, explosive rage at seeing his friend locked up.

Naruto wasn't disappointed.

The Avatar jumped onto the metal casket that held the Earth King, maneuvering it so that he could use the stone chutes and escape. Watching as the girls took off after him, and the Water tribe Girl after them, he jumped in front of the water tribe boy and drew his sword.

Seeing the boy, Sokka, who couldn't have been younger than him, enter a stance, Naruto said, after giving a swordsman's salute. "Top the Victor goes the spoils, my friend."

Seeing the swordsman's code being used, Sokka saluted as well. "And the Victor be humble in his victory."

After a moment of silence as the two held their stances, nothing could be heard. It was as if time seemed to still for these two to prepare for the battle about to take place. A gentle breeze flitted past them, and as a single strand of stray wheat fell to the ground, they dashed forward, Naruto having his sword in one hand, the other reaching for Sokka's throat, and Sokka holding his machete ready to parry the blade and dodge the hand going for his throat.

_(End picture)_

_Ameratsu is covered in flames as naruto clashes with Sokka, whose blade is barely holding its own against the vicious and swift strikes of the more experienced swordsmen. _

_Katara is facing off against Gaara, eyes set in fear as a massive cloud of Iron sand came raining down on top of her, intent on crushing her._

_Mai is clutching her arm to her chest as Aang fights Azula, having been sent crashing into a wooden stall. Her arm is broken._

_Ty Lee is knocked unconscious as Killer Bee tended to the piece of wood lodged in her stomach, a look of concentration on his face._

_Above the city, a man with long blonde hair stood, tracking the Avatar and memorizing his fighting style as he grinned, his owl made of clay resting beside him, intent on getting the information that his leader wants on the pesky boy whom thinks himself a God.  
_

**AN: And finished. took me a while to decide where i want to take this. As such, Naruto and Sokka will be fighting each other. Katara and Gaara duke it out, Mai is injured, Azula fighting Aang like in the show, and Killer Bee tending to Ty Lee.  
**

**Next time: Showdown: What Truly makes a Warrior? Sokka Vs. Naruto or Iron Sand: To feel Love!  
**


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